


Don't Shake

by Magi_Silverwolf



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Multi, Sharing Talents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 17:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11833083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magi_Silverwolf/pseuds/Magi_Silverwolf
Summary: The dueling club was going just fine until that darn snake!





	Don't Shake

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the original canon nor am I making any profit from writing this piece. All works are accredited to their original authors, performers, and producers while this piece is mine. No copyright infringement is intended. I acknowledge that all views and opinions expressed herein are merely my interpretations of the characters and situations found within the original canon and may not reflect the views and opinions of the original author(s), producer(s), and/or other people.  
> Warnings: This story may contain material that is not suitable for all audiences and may offend some readers.

-= LP =-

Don’t Shake

-= LP =-

“I’m calm. I’m sure of it. I don’t shake because I’m never even rattled.”

– Marianas Trench, _This Means War_

-= LP =-

 

“Leave him alone!”

 

Harry didn’t know why he thought it would work. Shouting at an already agitated snake couldn’t possibly help the situation any. He just saw the snake focused on the boy in the Hufflepuff robes—maybe his name was Justin?—and he just acted without thinking, without weighing the possible reactions. All movement in the room froze as the snake slumped out of its raised pose. Crouching close to the floor, Harry reached out to it and wiggled his fingers. The black snake made a beeline for him, immediately coiling around his forearm before turn its gaze back at the trembling students.

 

“Mr. Potter,” Professor Snape said and Harry blinked at his odd tone, “is it safe to approach?”

 

“Uh, yes, sir,” Harry answered after a glance around the room. A lot of the faces were hostile, even Ron’s face. Hermione looked a bit like she had just found a new ‘bit of light reading’. The look on Neville’s face had something twisting in Harry, like the snake on his arm. Not understanding any of it, Harry focused on the Potions Professor cautiously nearing him. The snake tightened around Harry’s arm and gave a threatening hiss that made Snape freeze. Harry pulled his arm and its occupant against his chest protectively, using his other arm to pet the snake’s scales soothingly. “He’s not going to hurt us.”

 

“Mr. Potter, I would really like to know what you are telling your new friend,” Snape said, again with that odd tone to his voice. Harry blinked at him again as he turned over the possibilities in his mind. Was Snape being _polite_? To _him_?

 

“S-sir, Harry only said that you wouldn’t hurt them,” Neville said. Neville had come up to stand beside Harry’s crouching form and though he was trembling being the focus of Snape’s carefully restrained attention, he still looked like the boy who had been willing to fight them at the end of last year. Snape closed his eyes and appeared to be counting under his breath. Neville placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder, giving the bony joint a gentle squeeze. The snake uncoiled enough to scent Neville’s fingertips, but she didn’t seem as aggressive towards the boy as she had been against Snape.

 

“He did, sir!” called out a blonde in Ravenclaw robes. She had just finished wiggling through a group of Hufflepuff third years and was now skipping across the cleared space. She was definitely small enough to be a first year…Harry swallowed the groan that wanted to escape when he realized that she was slightly larger than he was. Was everyone bigger than him? The girl wiggled her fingers at the snake, giggling when the snake scented her fingers before giving a contented hiss. “I’m Luna, by the way, and very pleased to meet you, Harry Potter—“ She tilted her head to look at Neville who was still standing guard over them. “—and Neville Longbottom. If Harry’s the parselmouth, that makes you the plant catalyst, right? Have you figured out how to stop it yet? Because I’m still haven’t gotten the hang of it and it’s really affecting my Potions grade. Right, sir?”

 

Professor Snape pinched the bridge of his nose like Aunt Petunia did when she was beginning to get a headache. He was muttering something under his breath which Harry couldn’t hear but that made Neville’s fingers bite into his shoulder. Harry was definitely missing something. Helpful as ever, Hermione spoke up finally.

 

“Oh, my god! It’s their Shared Talents!” she declared loudly before pressing her fists against her grinning mouth.

 

Harry blinked again as he processed that, having only the distant observation that he had done that  a lot in the last few minutes. He had heard of the term before, of course. He knew that soulmates shared some unique talent, something innately theirs. He had just—Aunt Petunia had always said that he had no talent to be shared, not like her Dudley. Harry had never really questioned that conclusion, other than a brief thought about the possibility that _magic_ was his talent to share and how useless that would be for finding his soulmate. He turned to look at Luna’s face which was surprisingly close to his. Without missing a beat, she licked his nose. Harry wrinkled his nose even as he grinned.

 

He could get use to this.

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was written for a challenge in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments) on the FFN forum.  
> The Challenge Information:  
> House: Gryffindor  
> Claimed Pairing: Lunar Heroes (Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood/Harry Potter)  
> Day 16: Soulmates Share Talents  
> Extra Prompt[s]: Freeze  
> Word Count: 731


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